Penix Shows Out, Hoosiers Fall Short in East Lansing
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Photo by joe robbins/getty images
Written by Evan McShane (@very_reasonable)
The Hoosier offense did just about everything they needed to pull of the upset victory, but it still wasn’t enough. Thanks to a masterful performance by redshirt freshman quarterback Michael Penix, Indiana put together an offensive explosion against one of the top defenses in the country. The Hoosiers amassed 356 yards of total offense and an impressive 26 first downs. The offensive line held their own in their first full game without veteran leader Coy Cronk, who had surgery earlier in the week. IU couldn’t quite get the running game going, averaging just 2.5 yards-per-carry as a team. On the positive side, Stevie Scott managed to get 3.7 yards-per-attempt and many of his runs of 4+ yards on first and second down were essential to IU’s ability to sustain drives.
Indiana was able to settle in quickly after the Spartan defense was overwhelming to start. The first 10 Hoosier plays yielded just 17 yards, including a three-and-out to start the game. When Michigan State scored an early first quarter touchdown, Indiana needed to respond. In just the second full game of his career, Mike Penix led a 6-play 68-yard drive, scoring a touchdown in just over two minutes. The drive began with two Scott rushes for 19- and 7-yards and capped off with an impressive 28-yard touchdown pass from Penix to Whop Philyor on 3rd and 12. The Hoosiers would finish the day a respectable 6-for-13 on third down conversions.
After a three-and-out and another Michigan State touchdown, IU needed another response to avoid going down by two scores. The hostile road environment didn’t seem to phase Penix one bit as he proceeded to shred the Spartan secondary. The young quarterback completed his first six consecutive passes on the drive, including three straight catches by Donavan Hale, one for 28 yards to the MSU 5-yard line. Penix would finish the drive off with a quarterback keeper, a two-yard rushing touchdown.The Hoosiers posted 14 points before halftime against a Michigan State defense that had surrendered an average of just 11-points per game.
Out of the break, Indiana took the ball 81 yards on a methodical 12-play drive. Offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer deserves some credit for a smart game plan, centered around short, quick passes. Penix began the half where he left off, completing eight straight passes on the drive that fizzled out on the MSU 8-yard line, resulting in a field goal. After a big stop by the Hoosier defense, Penix and the offense put the pedal to the medal. IU churned out a six-and-a-half-minute drive, going 80-yards in 13 plays. Penix continued his brilliant marksmanship, completing five more consecutive passes to begin the drive. Another big third down conversion resulting in a touchdown, this time Donavan Hale with the big time catch:
The Hoosier defense forced a clutch three-and-out, but a crucial holding penalty on a Whop Philyor punt return set the Hoosiers back nearly 50-yards to their own 10-yard line. Indiana was about six inches from taking a 10-point lead when a bomb of a pass from Michael Penix barley sailed beyond Whop’s fingertips on what would’ve been an 87-yard TD. When IU got the ball back for their second drive of the fourth quarter, they again went three-and-out, getting stuffed on three consecutive Stevie Scott rushing attempts. Indiana’s offense did almost everything they could to get the win, but the back-to-back three-and-outs while MSU scored 10 points proved to be the difference in the game.
One thing Hoosier fans learned on Saturday is that when you have a gunslinger like Penix, you always have a chance. Down 31-24 with just over three minutes to go, IU got a defining moment from Mike Penix. Indiana marched 78-yards in just six plays under 90 seconds to tie the game. After a string of incompletions, Penix caught fire, connecting with Hale for 12 yards and Philyor for 19 to get to the MSU 22-yard line. After a roughing the passer penalty gave Indiana the ball inside the red zone, Penix threw a beautiful pass to Whop Philyor in the corner of the end zone with two minutes left on the clock:
Ultimately, it wasn’t enough. The Spartans glided downfield and kicked a field goal with under ten seconds remaining. A botched final play gifted MSU a garbage-time touchdown, bringing the final score to 40-31. Overall, the offense accomplished a remarkable feat against an elite defense—perhaps the toughest one they’ll face all season. Seven different wide receivers caught a pass, with Whop Philyor leading the way. With 14 catches, 142 yards and two TDs, Whop showed he can be a superstar in this offense. Hale caught seven passes with a touchdown and was one yard shy of 100. Penix was remarkably efficient, delivering the ball on time and in stride, completing 33-of-42 passes on the day. Before the final play of the game, Penix had thrown for 312 yards.
There were plenty of positives to take away from Indiana’s performance on the offensive side of the ball. The game plan was well-executed. Stevie Scott looked more like himself despite only rushing for 66 yards. The offensive line deserves a lot of credit for keeping Penix clean all afternoon. After years of heartbreaking loses very similar to the one in East Lansing, there are no moral victories for Indiana football anymore. However, it would be remiss not to acknowledge there was something about Saturday that felt different. While it’s not clear what the ceiling is for this team, one thing is clear. Michael Penix is the real deal. As most would have predicted, the Hoosiers are 3-2 heading into the bye week. If they can correct some miscues and stay healthy, a bowl game is within reach. Regardless of what happens in the immediate, Saturday revealed that Indiana has an electric quarterback to build around for the next few years.